Last updated on January 25th, 2023 at 08:18 am
One of the oldest ministries in Nigeria is Health, because of its importance to the well-being of the country. This isn’t peculiar to Nigeria alone, health ministry plays a crucial role in other countries around the world.
In Nigeria, the ministry is behind the formulation and implementation of health-related policies.
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Composition of Nigeria’s Health Ministry
Composed of nine departments, six units, and seven agencies, it is made up of different aspects of health care.
While the departments play different roles ranging from awareness to massive vaccination against diseases, the agencies do most of the health-related research.
Agencies of Nigeria’s Ministry of Health:
Below are the agencies or parastatal in Nigeria’s health ministry and their core mandates:
- Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC)
- The National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA)
- National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC)
- National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS)
- Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR)
- National Agency for Control of AIDs (NACA)
- National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD)
- Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria (MLSCN)
| Agency | Year of Establishment |
| NCDC | 2011 |
| NPHCDA | 1992 |
| NAFDAC | January 1993 |
| NHIS | June 2005 |
| NIPRD | 1987 |
| NIMR | 1977 |
| NACA | February 2000 |
| MLSCN | 2003 |
Mandates of the agencies of Nigeria’s Ministry of Health
NCDC
To detect, alert Nigerians and respond swiftly to any form of communicable disease in Nigeria
NPHCDA
To provide technical support to states, LGAs, and other stakeholders in the functioning, planning, implementation, supervision and monitoring of Primary Health Care services in Nigeria.
NAFDAC
To regulate and control the manufacture, importation, exportation, distribution, advertisement, sale and use of food, drugs, cosmetics, chemicals, medical devices and packaged water in Nigeria. To alert Nigerians about adulterated drugs in Nigeria in a situation where such drugs found their way into Nigeria.
NHIS
To provide social health insurance for Nigerians.
Note: It failed due to corruption.
NIPRD
To develop drugs, biological products, and pharmaceutical raw materials so as to reduce reliance on imported pharmaceutical products
NIMR
To conduct research into health problems in Nigeria in the areas of communicable diseases
NACA
To facilitate the engagement of all tiers of government and all sectors on issues of HIV/AIDS prevention, care and support in Nigeria
MLSCN
To regulate the training of Technicians, Scientists, and Assistants in any institutions in Nigeria and give periodic accreditation to institutions.
Located at Federal Secretariat Complex, Phase III, Shehu Shagari Way, Central Business District. Abuja .FCT – Nigeria, the Ministry of Health also has federal medical centres and federal teaching hospitals under its coordination.
